A Stage 2 burn ban in Pierce County was lifted Friday after air quality improved.
The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency announced that weather changes Friday, with predictions of rain and wind for Saturday, ended the need for the moratorium.
A Stage 2 burn ban includes fireplaces, wood stoves, fireplace inserts and pellet stoves.
The ban resulted from a high content of fine-particle air pollution in Pierce County, especially in neighborhoods where wood-burning is common. Adding to the problem were several days of cold temperatures and low or no wind – a condition that creates unhealthy air for asthma sufferers, people with lung and heart problems and diabetes, children, and older adults over age 65, accoding to health authorities.